Method: Place the flour, baking powder, and salt in the workbowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade. Pulse a few times to combine.

Remove the cover of the food processor and distribute the butter evenly over the dry ingredients. Cover and pulse 10 times. Mixture should be crumbly. Pulse a couple of more times if needed. Transfer mixture to a large mixing bowl.

Add the grated cheddar to the bowl, and mix in with your hands so all of the cheese is coated with flour.Stir in the heavy cream and mix until clumps of dough form. I used a dough whisk for this:

I turned the clumpy part of the mixture out onto the counter. There's usually some dry bits underneath that haven't mixed in:

I stirred in a bit more half-and-half cream until more clumps formed then turned this out onto the counter too:

Using a bench scraper, I get underneath some of the dough and lift and press on top, to get the dough to come together. I do this from all sides, until it comes together into a dough ball. I try not to directly touch the dough, and press with the bench scraper, so I don't warm the dough up with my hands:

As I am making 24, I rolled the dough ball into a 10"x14" rectangle (using the bench scraper to push on the edges to even up the sides as needed); if you are making 12, roll to approximately 10"x7". I then did a business-letter turn with the dough:

And a second time (dough is getting smoother):

And a third:

A final roll to 10"x14", (10"x7" if only making 12), then divide into triangles (24 or 12 depending on how many you're making)(I don't do rounds because I prefer to not deal with scraps). I divide using the bench scraper, and am careful to keep the bench scraper vertical, that is, perpendicular to the counter, and to cut cleanly, straight down, and to not drag the bench scraper sideways. (I read somewhere this helps the scone to rise straight up):

I placed the shaped scones on a parchment-lined baking sheet (13"x18" because that's what will fit in my fridge), covered in plastic wrap, and chilled for 1-1/2 hours before baking.One half hour before baking, (if making 24, consider whether you are baking on one big sheet or two smaller ones). Position oven rack(s) near the center of the oven. Heat oven to 425F.

Remove scones from fridge, remove plastic wrap.If making 24 like I did in these pictures, transfer scones to one 15"x21" parchment-lined baking sheet or two 13"x18" parchment-lined baking sheets, to spread them out more/increase airflow around the scones so they bake properly, when baking all 24 at once.Brush tops of scones with half-and-half. Place scones in oven.Bake for 12-15 minutes (I baked these for the full 15 as they were well-chilled). Depending on how evenly your oven heats, you may want to rotate your baking sheets or move your scones around on the baking sheet partway through the bake, so they bake/brown evenly.

After 5 minutes in oven, after 10 minutes in oven, and the finished bake:

Somewhat flaky layers (some cheese melting out!) and a crumb shot:

These are an Irish Cream with Chocolate variation, with thanks to Neo-Homesteading's post! for a great idea!This is what I tried for ingredients (makes 12):

I followed the same method as for the Cheddar variation above, except:- added the brown sugar to the dry ingredients in the food processor at the start of mixing- added the chocolate chips (not cheddar!) to the dry ingredients in the mixing bowl- added the whiskey and vanilla extract along with the heavy cream to the dry ingredients in the mixing bowl- after brushing the scones with half-and-half, I sprinkled them with Turbinado sugar, then baked.

I found this dough wetter due to the higher amount of heavy cream and Whiskey addition; I didn't have to add hardly any half-and-half to get all the dry ingredients to bind together.The scones were browned at 12 minutes but I baked until 14 minutes as this dough was wetter. Depending on how your oven heats, you may want to turn some of the scones around partway through baking so they bake and brown evenly and don't get too dark in any one spot - this dough has a higher sugar content and it browns well. The aroma coming out of the oven was amazing while these were baking! :^)

Here's a couple of pictures of the finished scones (the picture on the right with a small bit of glaze applied, made by mixing some icing sugar, 1 Tablespoon whiskey, 1 Tablespoon Bailey's Irish Cream Liqueur, a bit of half-and-half, and a tiny pinch of salt). The increased liquid did make these less flaky, so next time I will reduce the amount of heavy cream to that used for the cheddar scones, 208 grams, and see how it goes:

Those are not only lovely breadsong, but they sound easy as well. I can almost smell those Irish Whiskey scones from here!

You have inspired me to try an adaptation of your Irish Whiskey variation in my project to develop a corn flour scone with dried cranberries and candied ginger. I think it will advance my effort significantly. Thank you!

Hello OWS, Thank you so much. Your flavor combination sounds really good. I hope you are happy with this technique for your corn flour scones. Please do post about them - I'll look forward to seeing your pictures and reading about you made them! Thanks, from breadsong

Hello arlo, Thanks very much! I did borrow the folding idea from when I've made Quick Puff Pastry (The Pie and Pastry Bible - Rose Levy Beranbaum). When I made that puff pastry, I was always amazed at how all of these crumbly bits of dough would eventually smooth out after the turns into a cohesive, rollable pastry dough...I thought maybe the same thing might work for scones. Thanks again! from breadsong

Hello, I've got some coconut shortening (the ingredient label says 100% coconut oil but it's solid and white like shortening) that I picked up for some Australian baking recipes I wanted to try. I've got some coconut milk too, for cooking. I'll give it a try and post the results, as soon as I am able. Regards, breadsong

They came out pretty wet so I had to sprinkle in more flour to get a thicker consistency, added about 1/2 cup of extra flour. They are not flakey like your scones but they are soft and fluffy.

They only taste like coconut because of the shredded coconut, the coconut milk doesn't give an overwhelming coconut flavor so it could be used in a savory recipe as well.

I brushed the tops with extra coconut milk and sprinkled with Zulka Azucar Morena (mexican pure cane sugar). The tops came out shiney while the bottoms came out burnt. I had to bake for 17-18 minutes because of the wetness.

Thank you for your compliments. We always enjoy the cheese scones; this is the first time I've made the Irish Whiskey ones - out of this world good! I had to taste one (wanted to make sure they were OK) as I'm giving them as Birthday gifts to a couple of girlfriends (Happy B-Day, Bailey's or Birthday, take your pick!).From breadsong

I should look into this idea and formulate it some how. Perhaps dry pineapples bits with curacao, dark rum and bit of orange juice to substitute in for some of the liquid. Top with a simple confectioner frosting of dark rum, powdered sugar and heavy whipping cream...

I think I smell a good morning coming out of the oven.

By the way, I just made these scones after work this morning with blueberries and chocolate chips. Pretty tasty!

I'm more of an idea guy (being only semi-competent at execution) and Arlo's a pro (and breadsong might as well be). I think we've started a "Morning After Scone" project ("Hair of the Dog Scone" doesn't sound as appetizing).

Dried pineapple bits sound good. I wonder if orange extract would pack more citrus punch than orange juice. And just a pinch of lime zest for zing. Would boiling down some Myers' dark rum enhance the rum flavor or just waste the alcohol?

I think I need to retract my "no more sweet baking until February" pledge.

I was rumaging around our liquor cabinet looking for Curacao (closest we have is Grand Marnier), and I happened upon an airplane size bottle of what may be the secret ingredient for my tropical cocktail scones.

It must have been some long ago flight from Hawaii. I have no recollection of acquiring this hooch (maybe it was so good I don't remember a thing).

I think I'll soak the dried pineapple in this and rum, and see what happens.

I made two half-recipes of these scones today--a savory one with cheddar cheese and bacon and a sweet one with rum and liqueur-soaked pineapple. The texture was perfect and the flavors were (dare I say) addictive.

I will post details on my blog, but meanwhile, thanks for this formula and technique. It's a winner!

I made these scones again today, but with lemon and cranberries. They are awesome. The dough was too moist, due--I think--to the water the cranberries held. So I added more flour. Also, they were not lemon-y enough for me.

The formula below adjusts the liquids and lemon flavors to where I think they should be (I'll try it again).

Hello Glenn, Lemon-Cranberry is a delicious flavor combination for scones!Re: the liquid absorbed by the cranberries, I recently made a raisin-rye bread, and the raisins were prepared for baking by soaking in cold water for 10 minutes only, then drained, covered and left to rest overnight. I liked how the fruit softened up for baking without being too wet...I wonder how this might work for dried cranberries?Thanks Glenn for posting your flavor variation!from breadsong

Oh breadsong, how I love oranges, zested, juiced, candied! Mike just brought me in a bag of fresh oranges yesterday...he said I know you wanted some juice. I live by several groves and love their beauty! When you said you liked orange zest with rosemary, I thought it sounded so delicious and, now seeing your lovely scones and recipe my mouth is watering for a cup of tea and one of your scones! What a delicious sounding combo of lemon, orange zest and golden raisin's with rosemary all rolled up into a beautiful creamy scone : )

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